I wonder what the Coal Authority's' view on not disclosing a mine shaft
for several years is?
"Under the Coal Industry Act 1994 ownership of coal, (excluding coal in
tips), coal mines (both current and disused) and coal mine shafts &
adits (previously vested in British Coal) transferred to the Coal
Authority (“the Authority”). Any activities which intersect, disturb or
enter any of the Authority’s coal interests require the prior written
permission of the Authority." - this is extracted from the Coal
Authority's web site and would imply that TW were remiss in not
obtaining prior permission to treat a shaft - which would then be
entered into the CA's register of shafts and would turn up on a stability
report that any competant solicitor would ask for during the searches
and any mortgage provider would demand??????
I also wonder what information was disclosed to the solicitors acting
for the purchaser - if an environmental search was undertaken I'd
expect this to include the reports submitted by the developer to obtain
planning permission; but then being in the biz, I'd have read them
myself. Do these environmental searches simply entail an email to
Landmark to look on a database? I've never bothered as I always do
my own contam survey when buying a house.
I wonder what professional help the home buyer sought? A sad and
sorry tale to tarnish our industry though.
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